Punjabi Paradise

I am full of admiration, not just for the sheer enterprise, but also the taste and flavour and the whole concept. Parathas in a packet… plump with stuffings and with the goodness of the home kitchen, that’s what Le Punjabi is all about.

When I slid out the well-packed parathas out of the cheerful and handsome green packet, I wasn’t expecting much. After all, how good can parathas in a packet get?

I was not just pleasantly surprised, but couldn’t stop eating. Each packet is a filling, wholesome meal (with homemade pickle included). Made of pure wheat flour and stuffed with delicious and authentic Punjabi-style stuffings of aloo, paneer, gobi and mooli, each one is yummy.

“We make these fresh every day,” explained the bubbly Bharati Arora, “And these can be refrigerated for 72 hours too.” Along with her husband Sanjiv and daughter Stuti, Bharati not only makes sure that the finest and purest ingredients are used, but that authentic recipes are followed. These are given at hospitals, schools, shops and are a handy, filling meal on the run too.

The hardworking and brilliant family also do true blue Punjabi and south Indian catering too. They also cater chaat items. They have been doing this for the past, kadai paneer, stuffed potatoes, dum aloo, Punjbai kheer and gajjar halwa being some of the most popular dishes. But it’s all pure vegetarian.

PS: “But why the French name Le Punjabi?,” I ask. And Bharati justifies, “It’s a pun, not just on the French, but also on ‘ley’ as in ‘take’.” It sure is something I would ‘ley’, again and again!

Author

World Gourmand Award winner Rashmi Uday Singh is the author of India's first-ever city restaurant guide. Singh studied law and management, and worked as a deputy commissioner with the Indian Revenue Service, which she quit after 15 years to train with the BBC. Singh has written 22 books on food, night life and people. She hosts TV shows and writes columns for Bombay Times and Chennai Times. She promises this blog will be as much fun as eating out with her, at a range of exciting places in India and abroad.

World Gourmand Award winner Rashmi Uday Singh is the author of India's first-ever city restaurant guide. Singh studied law and management, and worked as a d. . .